Sir Alex Ferguson has weighed in once more in the war of words between Manchester United and Real Madrid over Cristiano Ronaldo. The Real Madrid president Ramón Calderón yesterday branded Ferguson as "a bit senile" after the United manager had attacked Real's pursuit of the winger.

And today Ferguson has hit back. "Calderon has a few strange things to say every week," he told the Manchester Evening News. "There is a lot of hot air comes out of that man. I am not getting involved but the nub of it is he is very disappointed he did not get Ronaldo. I am delighted to say he is still here and I will keep repeating that."

Ferguson initially irritated Real by suggesting that their signing of Gabriel Heinze in the summer of 2007 was simply the beginning of their bid to take Ronaldo to the Bernabéu. In the same interview Ferguson drew attention to Real's links with the Fascist dictator General Franco. "What made it [their bid for Ronaldo] really obscene was that Madrid, as General Franco's club, had a history of being able to get whoever and whatever they wanted, before democracy came to Spain," he said.

Calderón replied by saying "I won't waste time answering him. I admire his history but recently he has gone a bit senile."